Abstract
Khamsavi and Donaldson1 have described an interferometric method for the measurement of the apparent thicknesses of thin metallic films (200–700 A. in thickness). The method described was essentially that due to Wiener2, modified to bring in the advantages of the sharp interference fringes obtained when multiple-beam interferometry is used3. An opaque reflecting layer is deposited over the edge of the film to be measured, and the step in this layer is measured by using it as one surface of an interferometer, and viewing this in reflexion using either fringes of equal thickness or fringes of equal chromatic order. By combining these thickness measurements with colorimetric determinations of the mass deposited upon a given area, they showed that the density of the film appeared to remain constant and equal to that of the bulk metal (silver) down to quite small thicknesses (122 A.).
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Khamsavi and Donaldson, Nature, 159, 228 (1947).
Wiener, Wied. Ann., 31, 629 (1887).
Tolansky, "Applications of Multiple Beam Interferometry" (Oxford Univ. Press, 1948).
Thomson, Proc. Phys. Soc., 61, 403 (1948).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
AVERY, D. Interferometric Determination of the Apparent Thickness of Thin Metallic Films. Nature 163, 916 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/163916a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/163916a0
This article is cited by
-
Measurement of the Thickness of Thin Films by Multiple-Beam Interference
Nature (1956)
-
Neuere optische Verfahren zum Bestimmen der Dicke dünnster Schichten, auch Korrosionsschichten
Forschung auf dem Gebiete des Ingenieurwesens (1956)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.